Creepy twist as AI successfully picks the winner of the Melbourne Cup

Before Jamie Melham won the Melbourne Cup, an AI model successfully predicted the result: her horse, Half Yours, would win. 

The AI ‘PunterGPT’ model both predicted the five-year-old Aussie gelding would win the race that stops the nation at Flemington on Tuesday. 

But humans were also successful in their predictions: financial services company Macquarie Capital’s quantitative analysts team reached the same result by incorporated value, momentum, sentiment, quality and innovative data. 

Melham is the first woman to win both the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup. 

Melham, 29, was aiming to emulate close friend Michelle Payne on the 10th anniversary of her iconic win when she rode rank outsider Prince Of Penzance – and did so. 

Macquarie’s system proved fruitful in 2023, when Without A Fight outclassed the field over 3200 metres – however, it was a different story last year when Robbie Dolan’s Knight’s Choice stunned punters given he was an $81 chance.

A series of experts from Macquarie Capital as well as an artificial intelligence (AI) model have crunched the numbers when it comes to the 2025 Melbourne Cup – and both declared the same winner, Half Yours (pictured)

Macquarie Capital’s quantitative analysts team as well as the AI inspired PunterGPT model both concluded Half Yours will salute at Flemington

Jamie Melham (pictured, right) will ride Half Yours, where she will seek to become the first female hoop to win both the Melbourne Cup and Caulfield Cup

Payne is the only female jockey to previously win the Melbourne Cup, back in 2015.

‘I’m very, very excited about it,’ Melham said before the race, when quizzed by reporters about her chances on board the recent Caulfield Cup winner. 

‘This horse (Half Yours) is looking and feeling amazing, he is ready to go.’

Melham also worried about riding in wet conditions. 

‘I don’t like the rain that much, but he loves it,’ she added.

‘Barrier eight (also) makes my job just a little bit easier. I would just love to get as close as I can to the rail early.